Carmi frowned and shook her head. “I don’t see it. I mean, it’s not like I run around killing people willy nilly. I have a reason, and they are usually good ones, you know that.”
Bella shook her head, Carmi marched to the beat of her own drum. Because of her childhood she would never see the world the way most people did, for that Bella felt bad. What she had suffered, no wonder she had become a hit woman. Bella loved her anyway.
“Of course you don’t,” Bella said. “You only kill the ones who are assholes.”
“Right!” Carmi snapped and the car pulled up. Bella walked to the driver door while Carmi got in the passenger. “Plus the prick made me pay for our coffee. He is a dick.”
“Oh my God, you like him,” Bella said in surprise.
“What? No! I just called him a prick,” Carmi snapped. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Please, I know you, I know you almost better than you know you. You bitch about men all the time, but you usually just have a good time making fun of them, they don’t piss you off,” Bella said as she pulled out into traffic.
Carmi sighed. “No, I know that is a lost cause, which is sad because I would have probably tapped that ass. But you know, when you shoot at someone, it tends to put a damper on a relationship.”
Bella laughed loudly. “Yeah, I can see that.”
She turned toward the hotel, she loved it when she pulled up to the casino. All of the lights and the people. It just made her feel like she was actually accomplishing something. As she turned her sports car onto the street that ran right in front of her casino, she felt a prickle of awareness suddenly. Bella sat up straight and Carmi did as well, reading her tension.
“What?” Carmi said and her eyes scanned.
“I don’t know,” Bella admitted. “Something—”
When the first bullet hit her car, she jerked the wheel trying to get out of traffic and away from the tourists who were now running and screaming. “Left,” Carmi barked out and held onto the dash. “Get me to the sidewalk, let me out, and then take off. Do not stop until I call you.”
“What?” Bella roared. “I will not run.”
“You will, and you will not look back,” Carmi said grimly and Bella fought as a couple of new bullets pinged off her roof. Assholes were attacking her in broad daylight, what the fuck was wrong with them? Innocents could get hurt, she would never allow her men to do that.
“Make sure no one is hit, or in your line of fire.”
Carmi nodded. “Just get me to the sidewalk, I will take care of everything.”
Bella nodded and gritted her teeth as she veered the car close to the sidewalk, making sure she pulled up on the curb, she gave Carmi some shelter while she got out of the car and ran. Bella noticed she was looking at the rooftop of the building across from their casino. Fuckers were there? She didn’t have time to look up though, more bullets hit her car as she pulled away and sped down the street.
Bella looked in her rearview mirror and saw Carmi moving quickly, avoiding the shots that were directed at her. Bella slowed enough to see she made it to the other side of the street without getting shot. She didn’t see anyone else laying on the ground, thank God or she would be livid.
She turned and took the entrance to the interstate, she could drive on there for hours. Once she had merged into traffic, she hit her phone and waited while it dialed on her hands free set.
“Hello,” her father said gruffly.
“We have a problem,” Bella said, looking in her rearview mirror and changing lanes.
“Why?” he said sharply and she explained what was going on. “Damn it to hell,” he roared and she heard him moving around. “I will send more men out there, until they arrive, you do not go home or to the hotel. Let me make some calls.”
“I was calling you to keep you informed, not to tell you I need help,” Bella said sharply.
“You are my daughter,” her father barked back and she closed her eyes. He may not be the best father in the entire world, but she didn’t give a shit, he was her dad and she knew the thought of her being killed reminded him of her mother.
“Yes,” Bella said slowly. “And I love you, sì, padre, but that does not change the fact that I will deal with it. I need to or others will think they can do the same.”
Her father was silent and then he sighed. “I will let you deal with this as long as you promise me you will call Ricco and have him help. These men are not ones to be trifled with.”
“I know, father, which is why I sent the message the first time I would not deal with them. The man they sent, as soon as Bruno ran a background on him and it showed he dealt drugs to children, I knew the group was no one we would ever do business with, no matter what it was,” Bella said and her father sighed.
“And the man you killed in your office yesterday?” Shit, she should have known that would get back to him.
“When I hired him he had not been under investigation for child pornography. I did a service to the police. They should be thanking me, besides, he was worthless and only wanted money he hadn’t earned. I will not apologize for that,” Bella snapped.
“Fine, call Ricco,” Her father said and hung up. Bella kept driving, knowing she was going to need to call him, but right now, she really just needed to hear Carmi’s voice dammit.
“Shot’s fired at Rome,” Raph yelled from the lobby of his office and Ricco stood and moved walked to the doorway.
“Excuse me?” he said with a deadly tone in his voice. These fuckers weren’t going to be happy until one or both of them were dead. Ricco was going to need to take the fight to them and fast. As of yet, they had no idea what fucking rock they crawled under.
“The scanner went off like a fucking roman candle a few minutes ago. They are saying multiple shots fired at a car, no description. But the tourists that were wandering on the street freaked out,” Raph said and Ricco nodded.
“Get the car,” he said and Raph nodded.
Ricco went back into his office, picked up the phone, and made a few calls. He needed his men pulled back into the casino, if they wanted a war with Bella and him, Ricco would give them one, but it would not be played out on the strip of Vegas. There were too many people who could get hurt.
“Stefano,” Ricco barked into the phone. “Change of plans, I need half of your men in the casino, and the others to my house. The assholes who took a shot, they went after Bella Tomasi this time, on her way to her casino. Make sure they have it locked down, when I come in no one will be allowed in until we get a handle on these assholes. Make sure everything is stocked, not just food, if we need to make a stand, make sure we can do it. Also, make it known that is where Bella and I will be.”
“No problem, boss,” Stef said and then asked. “How many people will be at your house?”
Ricco thought for a moment. He needed his best men, and Bella would probably fight him so probably Carmi was well. “Ten, all the rooms need to be ready to go.”
His house was on the outside of Las Vegas, it sat on a hundred acres of desert with security that matched the Pentagon’s. His house was a mansion he admitted it, and he only stayed there when he needed to get away, which truthfully wasn’t that much. His plan wasn’t to live there until he had someone to share it with. He loved the house, but bumbling around the huge place was lonely. The good part was, he also had two guest cottages, one which he had converted into a vault, a high tech one, but it was huge, it held weapons and anything else he would need just in case.
He hung up the phone, then grabbed his holster, as he put it on he grabbed his jacket and shrugged it on as he walked out of his office. “Hold my calls until I let you know we are at my house, then you can forward them to me. I want everyone on alert, anything strange is checked out, and re-checked.”
“Got it.” His secretary nodded and wrote notes, following him as he walked to the elevator.
“Also, call Mr. Acciai, let him know we have a situation and I will call him later, just in ca
se he hears before I can make that call. I want them to run a check on every single one of our current guests, make sure we know who is staying here. And until further notice, the floor will be guarded, by invitation only, and they must bring the card to get in,” he said.
“No problem,” she said briskly as he entered the elevator. “What do you want me to do about your meeting with the Mayor?”
“Fuck,” Ricco muttered, he hated canceling that but there was no choice. “Tell him there was an emergency, I am sure with what just happened, he will be busy as well, assuring the tourists things in Vegas are safe.”
“Let me know if you need anything else,” his secretary said and he nodded. Amelia had been with him for years, although she was the same age as him. Her hair always in a tight bun, never a mess, and she took care of everything for him.
“Make sure you and the other heads of departments use the suites on the top floor, I don’t want them to get to anyone they think they could use against me,” Ricco said grimly and her eyes widened but she nodded. “I don’t give a shit if I have to house their whole families, no one is vulnerable. No one.”
Bella drove around, getting off the interstate and then getting back on before going back to the strip. She couldn’t drive around forever, she needed to know what was going on. It was driving her nuts.
She called the casino’s main room, they had caller ID so when Bruno answered the phone he said, “Bella, where the fuck are you?”
“Driving on the interstate right now,” she replied with a growl. “What is going on?”
She heard Bruno snapping at people to do things, which she really didn’t give two shits about, she wanted to know where Carmi was. “Carmi is still across the street; the cameras haven’t shown anyone leaving from the building yet. I sent out men to cover the back of the building. The shots stopped about five minutes after Carmi made it into the building. We have people on the floor helping the people who ran into the casino. No one was injured but they were panicked. The police are already here, they are securing the street, I would suspect we have about twenty minutes before they go into the building across the street and look at cameras to discover the car was yours. I will make some calls and get you in the clear.”
“Carmi…” she said.
“Can take care of herself. You know as well as I do she will be fine,” Bruno said and she nodded even though he couldn’t see it.
“Make sure we comp the rooms to those who are staying with us. Also, if any of the people who came to our casino for cover, give them a free night or two. Get the press to prepare a statement for me to put out,” Bella said firmly and then continued to give him orders until she was about three blocks from the casino and she saw the police blockade. “I am stopping, call the police and let them know I am right on the East side of the casino.”
“On it,” Bruno said and disconnected. Bella leaned back and rested her head on the seat and just waited.
Chapter Five
Ricco stepped out of the SUV Raph was driving when they got to the blockade. He saw Reggie, Sgt. Reginold Bankus. He was cousin to the Acciai family, and he always made sure Ricco and his men were in the clear if something went down. He also made sure Ricco knew the results from ballistics, etc.
“Sgt.,” Ricco said in a low voice. “What is going on?”
“Mr. Di’Midea,” he said formally and nodded. “We have an active shooter across from the Rome, so far no casualties reported, but apparently it was Bella Tomasi’s car, she was just located on the other side of the hotel. They are bringing her to the station for a statement.”
He looked at Ricco closely who nodded and then leaned forward and said, “Make sure she remains there until I come and get her.”
Reggie nodded and then turned and looked at the street. “Since we are lead on the case, she will be making her statement to us. I have to get the area secure first, so it will be awhile.”
Ricco turned and walked back to his car and said, “Bella is going to the station.”
“What about Carmi?” Raph asked, looking around.
He frowned and said, “I just assumed…”
“No, the scanner said she was alone. Carmi is out there somewhere,” Raph snapped and Ricco raised his eyebrows to his friend.
“Okay,” Ricco said slowly. “I will go to the station, you find Carmi.”
Raph’s head snapped in his direction and he said, “No, I am your…”
“Yeah, well Bella is probably freaked about her friend, make sure you find her and bring her to the house, we will meet you there as soon as we are done,” Ricco said and got back out of the SUV and walked around the front and opened the driver’s door and pulled Raph out smoothly and then got into the driver’s seat.
“Call me if there is an issue,” Ricco said and put the SUV into reverse, driving directly to the station. He wasn’t worried, but he needed to see Bella. Whoever took a shot at her was dead, they just didn’t know it yet.
It took like twenty minutes too long and by the time he got into the station he was even more pissed. He saw her when he walked in. She was sitting in the back at a desk with a glass of water. No, she did not look put together and sleek like she had not more than two hours ago. She looked worn out and tired. He ignored the officer at the desk and walked directly to her.
“Sir,” the officer yelled and someone must have waved her off, because he didn’t hear anything else.
“Bella,” he snapped when he got close to her and her head shot up and she looked at him in surprise.
“What?” she started and he looked around, then grabbed her hand and pulled her up and behind him as he stalked to an interview room. He saw one of the detectives wave someone away as he walked and nodded to him. He knew him, Detective Ryan, and he would be getting a nice surprise in the morning.
When he got into the room, he shut the door and locked it before turning to her.
“Okay then,” Bella said, taking a deep breath. “I am assuming you have heard.”
“Heard?” he snapped. “Of course I heard, everyone’s fucking heard by now. Why didn’t you call me?”
She frowned. “Uh, why the hell would I call you?”
“Because,” Ricco growled and stepped close to her. “We are in this shit together.”
“That may be,” she snapped back and took a step back. “But that doesn’t mean I am at your beck and call, or you are who I answer to.”
Ricco frowned and shook his head. “You just are not getting it.”
She crossed her arms and said, “And what the hell am I not getting? That you are the big man, you are in charge?”
“Exactly,” Ricco snapped and leaned closer to her. “Until this is over, you are going to listen to everything I have to fucking say, you will do exactly what I say and when I say it. You will not argue, you will not be a bitch, and most of all, you will not deny what is going on here because right about now, I would love to give you a lesson about what will happen if you don’t listen.”
“Oh really? Really? You think you have contr—” Bella snapped and suddenly she was pulled into his arms and his mouth slammed down on hers. Holy shit, she thought, she had been attracted to him sure, but this, hell, this just proved how far she needed to stay away from the man. His kiss was powerful, commanding, holy hell, it consumed her and she was fighting not to give in, but it was hard. As he put his hands on the back of her neck and held her in place as he ravished her, she melted. Never, not one time had she ever wanted to submit to someone like she did to this man. What the hell was coming over her?
She opened her mouth without him even asking and he dove in, tasting her, branding her mouth with his. She didn’t know if she moaned out loud or in her head. She held on to his shirt and just let him take over, she was along for the ride.
Then his kiss turned softer, but no less commanding, more of an admittance of her submission but still he held right onto her, pulling her body close to his, so they were flush. Her breaths were coming faster, she tried to
move her hands and wrap them around his neck but she couldn’t, she couldn’t because he was everywhere. He surrounded her, without speaking he told her what to do, which was stand there and take it.
He swept his tongue through her mouth and dueled with her tongue, not for dominance, no, she had already admitted that uncharacteristically quick. Fuck, she thought and then finally came to her senses and began to pull away. He refused to let her go at first, but when he finally did, Bella looked at him with a glare and said, “Do not ever do that again.”
Ricco smirked and said, “I will be doing more than that soon, baby, get used to it.”
There was a knock on the door and Ricco looked at her and then yelled, “Yeah?”
“Ricco,” Detective Ryan said. “Raph is on the phone.”
He swore under his breath and looked at her. “He went to find Carmi.”
Bella moved quickly to the door and snapped, “Find out what happened.”
Ricco nodded and unlocked the door and followed her out of the room. The detective took him back to the desk Bella had been sitting at and pushed a button, handing him the receiver.
“Raph?” he snapped into the receiver.
“She is shot,” Raph said grimly.
“How bad?” Ricco said and looked at Bella who narrowed her eyes at him. Shit.
“Bad enough, she was shot in the leg and the arm, lost a lot of blood, she says nothing major or she would already be dead. Fuck when I found her she was hopping down the stairs,” Raph said. “And she refuses to go to the hospital.”
“Why?” Ricco snapped. “We could cover it.”
“That is what I said, and she said they were coming for Bella and you and she wasn’t going to leave Bella. Told me to get a doc to patch her up and make sure Bella would be brought to her.”
Ricco sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose and said, “I will tell her, and we will be there shortly. Call the doc, let him know security protocol and have him bring a bag, once he is in, he stays in.”
Capo Ricco Page 4